Abstract

This paper is a reading of the representations of 'walking' and the 'traveller' in William Wordsworth's poetry, mainly The Prelude and The Excursion. I argue that 'walking' and the 'traveller on foot' are uniquely Wordsworthian motifs with which the poet explores the relationship between self, the imagination and the sense of community. In The Prelude, I find that there are essentially two kinds of 'excursive walking'; one is related to the private space the poet needs in achieving transcendental moments in nature, and the other is related to Wordsworth's effort in dealing with his egotistical penchant by means of representing the public space and the 'higher' kind of poet-the 'silent poet', which also reveals his ideas concerning a poet's social responsibility. My study of these two kinds of walking shows that from The Prelude to The Excursion, there is a gradual movement from private space to public space, which corresponds to Wordsworth's development from the search for, and confirmation of, his poetic identity in the autobiographical poem, to his creation, in The Excursion, of the Wanderer who, binding together man, nature and society, represents the ideal Wordsworthian figure.

Keywords: walking, the traveller, The Prelude, The Excursion, the Wanderer, private space, public space, the silent poet